Rhode Island, with its population of over 1 million in its mere 1,214 square miles of land, is a densely populated state (U.S. Census Beureau, 2007/Rhode Island Tourism Division, 2008). From ocean towns such as Newport to cities like Providence, the state supports diverse styles of living, which can be reflected in the quality of the schools. The quality of the school system is an important factor in choosing a place to seek employment. For student teachers or teachers new to the field, searching for a school to choose as a first job can be overwhelming. The supplies and resources the school has available, the type of area the students (and parents) live in, and the dedication of the rest of the staff are important details to think about and can greatly affect a teacher's first experiences.
nice introduction, especially how you touched upon the states background.
Several key determinants of student success include family money, poverty levels, non-English speaking background, parents' academic achievements, special learning needs, and minority racial-group identity. Through research of these statistics in the community, one can formulate an educated assessment of student achievement in the area and conditions within the school. Extra challenges may be involved for teachers when student success is suffering. Other tools that can be utilized to gain knowledge about particular schools are the SALT reports and the school's accountability results. This information compares the students of the school's test scores to the required targets to be met as stated in the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which may indicate to a new teacher the effectiveness of the schooling the students have had in prior years.
you dove into the background and provided more detail and explained it a lot better. good job
Though this report's main focus is Potter-Burns Elementary in Pawtucket, by exploring the community and district characteristics, one can get a good idea of the quality of the surrounding environment, the people within the community, and the schools in the nearby areas. The environment in which one finds employment can play a large role in happiness in the workplace.
Community Background
Pawtucket, Rhode Island is a city located just north of the state capital of Providence, on the western boarder of Massachusetts. It was founded in 1671 and developed as a manufacturing center for the textile industry (being the home of the historical Slater Mill) and various machines and iron-working shops. The city has remained industrial with over three hundred varying industries, its three largest being jewelry and silverware, metals, and textiles (RIEDC, 2000). According to the 2006 census, approximately 5.4% of the civilian workforce above the age of 16 (very close to Rhode Island's 5.9%) was unemployed, indicating a high employment rate and job stability in the area due to the industries and the additional 1,000 commercial and service institutions (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006/RIEDC, 2000).The community, with its 76,396 people, is predominately white, representing 68% of the total population; 16.3% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino decent, 11.8% African-American, and 3.4% are Asian (U.S. Census Beureau, 2006).
nice statistics
The median household income stands below both the country and state averages at $42,931, compared to Rhode Island's $51,814 and the country's $48,451 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). In concurrence with these statistics, the family poverty level stands greater. While the whole of the United States has 9.8% of families that are below the poverty level and Rhode Island has an even lower rate of 7.8%, 11.5% of Pawtucket's families are below the poverty level (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). This information may be reflected in the school systems
The majority of the buildings in the community were built before 1960, many of them even before 1939. The median number of rooms in the houses is 5.3, most containing two to three bedrooms. Of these housing units, 255,495 are occupied by the owner while 150,132 are occupied by renters (Rhode Island - Selected Housing Characteristics: 2006). The median value of owner-occupied units is $295,700 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). In addition to environment playing a role in the success of a student, a parent's academic achievements and expectations of their own children are a large factor. 76.6% of the population of adults age 25 or older have their high school diploma or higher, however only 19.7% have acquired a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). These levels are lower than both the state and country populations, which may be indicative of a poor commitment to education among parents.
Public safety is an important factor in academic success and an indicator of the overall health and well-being of a community. Crime in Pawtucket is not an issue of concern. In 2003, the occurrences of violent crimes were only 0.58 times that of the national average and its property crime rate is only 0.77 times the national average (CityRating.com, 2003).
Though a relatively safe urban area, the average income of Pawtucket is about $9,000 less than that of the state of Rhode Island. A small percentage of the adults residing in the community have received higher education and the poverty level is greater than the state average. Being a historically industrial town, many of the buildings are over fifty years old and property values are not very high.
District Summary
The school district of Pawtucket is consists of fifteen schools: 10 elementary schools, 3 junior highs, and 2 senior highs. It also includes one alternative education school for the arts (Pawtucket School Department, 2008). State revenues contribute the majority of the funding for the district with $67.8 million accounting for 63% of the total. This, along with local revenues (25%) and federal funding (11%) make up the total $107 million in funds for the schools of Pawtucket. Per-pupil expenditures are below the state average by $1,200 but still provide a substantial $11,500 per student for all programs and $7,774 for general education excluding other commitments (about $2,000 less than Rhode Island). Of the students enrolled in the Pawtucket school district, 16% receive special education and 11% receive English as a second language. The district's expenditures for these two programs (including other commitments) both slightly exceed the state averages, spending $26,576 and $13,503 respectively (National Center on Public Education and Social Policy, 2007).
Pawtucket's school district serves a total of 8,810 students and employs 784 teachers, giving the number of teachers to students a ratio of 1:11. This close ratio allows teachers to be more attentive to individual students and their personal needs. In addition, 0% of classes are taught by teachers that are classified as not highly qualified, compared to the state's 4% (National Center on Public Education and Social Policy, 2007). Contrary to this data however, 36% of teachers feel that lack of training is a moderate or major problem among their coworkers (SALT Survey, 2007).
According to the district's Parent Involvement Policy, Pawtucket schools encourage parent/guardian interaction in several ways. They send home newsletters, student planners, hold parent-teacher conferences, provide report cards, and even hold parent workshops, in addition to many other things (Pawtucket School Department, 2007). Despite this effort, the dropout rate for the district is 22%, doubling the rate of the entire state of Rhode Island. The rate of suspensions (incidents per one hundred students enrolled) within the schools in Pawtucket also exceeds that of the state at all grade levels (National Center on Public Education and Social Policy, 2007).
In conclusion, the large district of Pawtucket supplies the schools with funding that is comparable to the state's average expenditures. Expenditures for English as a Second Language and special education programs exceed those of Rhode Island, indicating that they take the education of those groups seriously and are committed to giving them the opportunity to succeed. There are enough teachers employed to provide the students with adequate attention and assistance and the district also encourages parental involvement.
School Analysis
Potter-Burns endorses a mission statement that reads: "It is the mission of the Potter-Burns Learning Community to enable our students to become well educated members of society. We, the faculty and staff, with the cooperation and support of parents and the community, will hold all our students accountable to reach high standards of academic performance and citizenship. Through high quality, effective instruction, students will learn to work cooperatively with others, become creative problem-solvers and responsible, life-long learners," (Potter-Burns, 2008). Through this, the school asserts that it maintains high expectations for its students and encourages success. It promotes active participation from the parents of the community and places an emphasis on civic expectations.
The elementary school, located on Newport Road in Pawtucket, was constructed over ninety years ago but has since had additions put on to the two-story, brick building (SALT Visiting Team, 1999). It has been headed by principal Cheryl McWilliams for over ten years (Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2008). The doors remain locked during school hours and require visitors to ring a bell to request permission to enter. Upon entering, they are required to go to the main office to sign in. In addition, a new rule has recently been implicated that requires anyone who enters the building to observe the classrooms to have a background check.
The majority of the school population, 52% of the students, are eligible for the subsidized lunch program, reflecting the low income levels of the families in the area. The school is diverse only to a small extent, accurately mirroring the racial make-up of the community being predominately white, with only 5% of the students in the English as a Second Language program. 13% of those enrolled at the school require some sort of special educational services (National Center on Public Education and Social Policy, 2007).
The staff of thirty-nine teachers employed at Potter-Burns serves to educate the 546 students that attend grades K-6 (National Center on Public Education and Social Policy, 2007). According to the evaluated targets of the school mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act, sixteen of the seventeen were met, resulting in a report that classified the school as one making inadequate yearly progress. The testing showed results that placed Potter-Burns well above the target in the mathematics subject area, but only slightly above in English and language arts. The group in which improvement is necessary is the students with disabilities, indicating that their special education program may not be as effective as expected and is not making adequate progress (National Center on Public Education and Social Policy, 2007).
The following table taken from SALT reports shows the student perceptions of the environment of Potter-Burns, based on a scale from one to two for the 2006-2007 school year:
Indicator
Value (Scale 0 to 2)
Positive school climate; overall score
1.7
Teachers provide support
1.8
Clarity of behavior expectations and rules
1.9
Students show commitment
1.9
Positive student interactions
1.8
Negative Student interactions
1.5
Disciplinary harshness
1.5
Instructional innovations and variation
1.7
General quality of school life
1.7
Table: Potter-Burns Student Perceptions on School Environment and Supports (SALT Survey, 2007)
The Potter-Burns Parent Teacher Organization meets once a month and organizes several events to benefit the school and the children who attend. They donate money, and hold several fundraisers throughout the year. With the earnings from these fundraisers, the PTO sponsors field trips and events such as the back to school picnic, bingo nights, and movie nights (Potter-Burns, 2008).
Overall, the school is a safe establishment for the children who attend. Despite the low incomes of the ares, dedicated parents work to provide the students with field trips and fun activities where they can interact with each other. There is a 95% attendance rate compared to Rhode Island's target of 90% (National Center on Public Education and Social Policy, 2007). The school has been making some progress towards meeting the targets set forth by the No Child Left Behind Act, though they are still lacking.
Conclusion
Though the Pawtucket community may not be the wealthiest in Rhode Island, sufficient funds are acquired to provide students with the resources they need to learn. However, it is apparent that some areas need improvement. Potter-Burns failed to meet only one out of the seventeen targets evaluated concerning the No Child Left Behind Act but still seems to be making progress in other areas. The necessary area of improvement lies within the students with disabilities, or the special education program, which should implicate a plan to improve scores over the next year. The children are content with the climate of the school and the community and parents get fairly involved in their children's education despite the fact that there is a low percentage of whom have received higher education. The PTO is an especially dedicated organization that donates time and money to benefit all of the students. The low student-to-teacher ratios within the district make for a comfortable learning environment that ensures that students get the needed attention for conceptual understanding. It is claimed that the Pawtucket district has employed no teachers that are not highly qualified. Nonetheless, the teachers' evaluations of each other indicate that many could use additional training to improve their skills and amplify results. Crime is not a problem in the community, however the dropout and suspension rates exceed state averages. This information should be useful in determining the atmosphere of Potter-Burns Elementary School and the district and community in which it is located.strong conclusion. although there were some errors where i felt that some commas didn't need to be there but the context report was an overall success. great job
National Center on Public Education and Social Policy. (2007). Information Works : Rhode Island Public Schools 2008 : School Reports. . Retrieved October 7, 2008, from http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2008/queries/FindSch.asp.
Pawtucket School Department. (2008). Welcome to Pawtucket's Public Schools. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from http://web.psdri.net/?q=node/3.
Pawtucket School Department. (2007). Parent Involvement Policy. Retrieved October 7, 2008, from http://web.psdri.net/?q=node/212.
Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2008). Information Services. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/.
Potter-Burns Elementary School
Introduction
Rhode Island, with its population of over 1 million in its mere 1,214 square miles of land, is a densely populated state (U.S. Census Beureau, 2007/Rhode Island Tourism Division, 2008). From ocean towns such as Newport to cities like Providence, the state supports diverse styles of living, which can be reflected in the quality of the schools. The quality of the school system is an important factor in choosing a place to seek employment. For student teachers or teachers new to the field, searching for a school to choose as a first job can be overwhelming. The supplies and resources the school has available, the type of area the students (and parents) live in, and the dedication of the rest of the staff are important details to think about and can greatly affect a teacher's first experiences.nice introduction, especially how you touched upon the states background.
Several key determinants of student success include family money, poverty levels, non-English speaking background, parents' academic achievements, special learning needs, and minority racial-group identity. Through research of these statistics in the community, one can formulate an educated assessment of student achievement in the area and conditions within the school. Extra challenges may be involved for teachers when student success is suffering. Other tools that can be utilized to gain knowledge about particular schools are the SALT reports and the school's accountability results. This information compares the students of the school's test scores to the required targets to be met as stated in the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which may indicate to a new teacher the effectiveness of the schooling the students have had in prior years.
you dove into the background and provided more detail and explained it a lot better. good job
Though this report's main focus is Potter-Burns Elementary in Pawtucket, by exploring the community and district characteristics, one can get a good idea of the quality of the surrounding environment, the people within the community, and the schools in the nearby areas. The environment in which one finds employment can play a large role in happiness in the workplace.
Community Background
Pawtucket, Rhode Island is a city located just north of the state capital of Providence, on the western boarder of Massachusetts. It was founded in 1671 and developed as a manufacturing center for the textile industry (being the home of the historical Slater Mill) and various machines and iron-working shops. The city has remained industrial with over three hundred varying industries, its three largest being jewelry and silverware, metals, and textiles (RIEDC, 2000). According to the 2006 census, approximately 5.4% of the civilian workforce above the age of 16 (very close to Rhode Island's 5.9%) was unemployed, indicating a high employment rate and job stability in the area due to the industries and the additional 1,000 commercial and service institutions (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006/RIEDC, 2000).The community, with its 76,396 people, is predominately white, representing 68% of the total population; 16.3% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino decent, 11.8% African-American, and 3.4% are Asian (U.S. Census Beureau, 2006).nice statistics
The median household income stands below both the country and state averages at $42,931, compared to Rhode Island's $51,814 and the country's $48,451 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). In concurrence with these statistics, the family poverty level stands greater. While the whole of the United States has 9.8% of families that are below the poverty level and Rhode Island has an even lower rate of 7.8%, 11.5% of Pawtucket's families are below the poverty level (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). This information may be reflected in the school systems
The majority of the buildings in the community were built before 1960, many of them even before 1939. The median number of rooms in the houses is 5.3, most containing two to three bedrooms. Of these housing units, 255,495 are occupied by the owner while 150,132 are occupied by renters (Rhode Island - Selected Housing Characteristics: 2006). The median value of owner-occupied units is $295,700 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). In addition to environment playing a role in the success of a student, a parent's academic achievements and expectations of their own children are a large factor. 76.6% of the population of adults age 25 or older have their high school diploma or higher, however only 19.7% have acquired a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). These levels are lower than both the state and country populations, which may be indicative of a poor commitment to education among parents.
Public safety is an important factor in academic success and an indicator of the overall health and well-being of a community. Crime in Pawtucket is not an issue of concern. In 2003, the occurrences of violent crimes were only 0.58 times that of the national average and its property crime rate is only 0.77 times the national average (CityRating.com, 2003).
Though a relatively safe urban area, the average income of Pawtucket is about $9,000 less than that of the state of Rhode Island. A small percentage of the adults residing in the community have received higher education and the poverty level is greater than the state average. Being a historically industrial town, many of the buildings are over fifty years old and property values are not very high.
District Summary
The school district of Pawtucket is consists of fifteen schools: 10 elementary schools, 3 junior highs, and 2 senior highs. It also includes one alternative education school for the arts (Pawtucket School Department, 2008). State revenues contribute the majority of the funding for the district with $67.8 million accounting for 63% of the total. This, along with local revenues (25%) and federal funding (11%) make up the total $107 million in funds for the schools of Pawtucket. Per-pupil expenditures are below the state average by $1,200 but still provide a substantial $11,500 per student for all programs and $7,774 for general education excluding other commitments (about $2,000 less than Rhode Island). Of the students enrolled in the Pawtucket school district, 16% receive special education and 11% receive English as a second language. The district's expenditures for these two programs (including other commitments) both slightly exceed the state averages, spending $26,576 and $13,503 respectively (National Center on Public Education and Social Policy, 2007).Pawtucket's school district serves a total of 8,810 students and employs 784 teachers, giving the number of teachers to students a ratio of 1:11. This close ratio allows teachers to be more attentive to individual students and their personal needs. In addition, 0% of classes are taught by teachers that are classified as not highly qualified, compared to the state's 4% (National Center on Public Education and Social Policy, 2007). Contrary to this data however, 36% of teachers feel that lack of training is a moderate or major problem among their coworkers (SALT Survey, 2007).
According to the district's Parent Involvement Policy, Pawtucket schools encourage parent/guardian interaction in several ways. They send home newsletters, student planners, hold parent-teacher conferences, provide report cards, and even hold parent workshops, in addition to many other things (Pawtucket School Department, 2007). Despite this effort, the dropout rate for the district is 22%, doubling the rate of the entire state of Rhode Island. The rate of suspensions (incidents per one hundred students enrolled) within the schools in Pawtucket also exceeds that of the state at all grade levels (National Center on Public Education and Social Policy, 2007).
In conclusion, the large district of Pawtucket supplies the schools with funding that is comparable to the state's average expenditures. Expenditures for English as a Second Language and special education programs exceed those of Rhode Island, indicating that they take the education of those groups seriously and are committed to giving them the opportunity to succeed. There are enough teachers employed to provide the students with adequate attention and assistance and the district also encourages parental involvement.
School Analysis
Potter-Burns endorses a mission statement that reads: "It is the mission of the Potter-Burns Learning Community to enable our students to become well educated members of society. We, the faculty and staff, with the cooperation and support of parents and the community, will hold all our students accountable to reach high standards of academic performance and citizenship. Through high quality, effective instruction, students will learn to work cooperatively with others, become creative problem-solvers and responsible, life-long learners," (Potter-Burns, 2008). Through this, the school asserts that it maintains high expectations for its students and encourages success. It promotes active participation from the parents of the community and places an emphasis on civic expectations.The elementary school, located on Newport Road in Pawtucket, was constructed over ninety years ago but has since had additions put on to the two-story, brick building (SALT Visiting Team, 1999). It has been headed by principal Cheryl McWilliams for over ten years (Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2008). The doors remain locked during school hours and require visitors to ring a bell to request permission to enter. Upon entering, they are required to go to the main office to sign in. In addition, a new rule has recently been implicated that requires anyone who enters the building to observe the classrooms to have a background check.
The majority of the school population, 52% of the students, are eligible for the subsidized lunch program, reflecting the low income levels of the families in the area. The school is diverse only to a small extent, accurately mirroring the racial make-up of the community being predominately white, with only 5% of the students in the English as a Second Language program. 13% of those enrolled at the school require some sort of special educational services (National Center on Public Education and Social Policy, 2007).
The staff of thirty-nine teachers employed at Potter-Burns serves to educate the 546 students that attend grades K-6 (National Center on Public Education and Social Policy, 2007). According to the evaluated targets of the school mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act, sixteen of the seventeen were met, resulting in a report that classified the school as one making inadequate yearly progress. The testing showed results that placed Potter-Burns well above the target in the mathematics subject area, but only slightly above in English and language arts. The group in which improvement is necessary is the students with disabilities, indicating that their special education program may not be as effective as expected and is not making adequate progress (National Center on Public Education and Social Policy, 2007).
The following table taken from SALT reports shows the student perceptions of the environment of Potter-Burns, based on a scale from one to two for the 2006-2007 school year:
The Potter-Burns Parent Teacher Organization meets once a month and organizes several events to benefit the school and the children who attend. They donate money, and hold several fundraisers throughout the year. With the earnings from these fundraisers, the PTO sponsors field trips and events such as the back to school picnic, bingo nights, and movie nights (Potter-Burns, 2008).
Overall, the school is a safe establishment for the children who attend. Despite the low incomes of the ares, dedicated parents work to provide the students with field trips and fun activities where they can interact with each other. There is a 95% attendance rate compared to Rhode Island's target of 90% (National Center on Public Education and Social Policy, 2007). The school has been making some progress towards meeting the targets set forth by the No Child Left Behind Act, though they are still lacking.
Conclusion
Though the Pawtucket community may not be the wealthiest in Rhode Island, sufficient funds are acquired to provide students with the resources they need to learn. However, it is apparent that some areas need improvement. Potter-Burns failed to meet only one out of the seventeen targets evaluated concerning the No Child Left Behind Act but still seems to be making progress in other areas. The necessary area of improvement lies within the students with disabilities, or the special education program, which should implicate a plan to improve scores over the next year. The children are content with the climate of the school and the community and parents get fairly involved in their children's education despite the fact that there is a low percentage of whom have received higher education. The PTO is an especially dedicated organization that donates time and money to benefit all of the students. The low student-to-teacher ratios within the district make for a comfortable learning environment that ensures that students get the needed attention for conceptual understanding. It is claimed that the Pawtucket district has employed no teachers that are not highly qualified. Nonetheless, the teachers' evaluations of each other indicate that many could use additional training to improve their skills and amplify results. Crime is not a problem in the community, however the dropout and suspension rates exceed state averages. This information should be useful in determining the atmosphere of Potter-Burns Elementary School and the district and community in which it is located.strong conclusion. although there were some errors where i felt that some commas didn't need to be there but the context report was an overall success. great jobMax Silva
References
CityRating.com. (2003). Pawtucket Crime Statistics (RI). Retrieved October 7, 2008, from http://www.cityrating.com/citycrime.asp?city=Pawtucket&state=RI.National Center on Public Education and Social Policy. (2007). Information Works : Rhode Island Public Schools 2008 : District Reports. Retrieved October 7, 2008, from http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2008/queries/FindDist.asp?District=26.
National Center on Public Education and Social Policy. (2007). Information Works : Rhode Island Public Schools 2008 : School Reports. . Retrieved October 7, 2008, from http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2008/queries/FindSch.asp.
Pawtucket School Department. (2008). Welcome to Pawtucket's Public Schools. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from http://web.psdri.net/?q=node/3.
Pawtucket School Department. (2007). Parent Involvement Policy. Retrieved October 7, 2008, from http://web.psdri.net/?q=node/212.
Potter-Burns. (2008). Potter-Burns School. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from http://www.psdri.net/webs/potter/index.htm.
Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2008). Information Services. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/.
RIEDC. (2000). City of Pawtucket. Retrieved October 7, 2008, from http://www.riedc.com/data-and-publications/state-and-community-profiles/pawtucket.
SALT Survey. (2007). Potter-Burns School - Student Reports: Perceived School Climate. Retrieved October 7, 2008, from http://schnet.ncpe.uri.edu/queries/StuRep.asp?TOC=71117&FOLDER=07&SC=25259&NW=.PDF.
SALT Survey. (2007). Recruiting Teachers: Professional Development. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2008/state/prodev.pdf.
SALT Visiting Team. (1999). SALT Report: Potter-Burns Elementary. Retrieved October 7, 2008, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/dataDump/00/2006-07/SaltRpts/199904_26_Potter-Burns_Elementary.pdf.
State of Rhode Island. City of Pawtucket. Retrieved October 6, 2008, from http://www.pawtucketri.com/.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2006). Pawtucket city, Rhode Island - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder. Retrieved September 21, 2008, from Pawtucket Census.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2006). Rhode Island - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder. Retrieved October 5, 2008, from Rhode Island Census.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2007). Rhode Island - Population Finder - American FactFinder. . Retrieved October 5, 2008, from Rhode Island Population.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2006). Rhode Island - Selected Housing Characteristics. Retrieved October 5, 2008, from Rhode Island Housing
Rhode Island Tourism Division. (2008). Facts About Rhode Island. Retrieved October 5, 2008, from http://www.visitrhodeisland.com/make-plans/for-students/rhode-island-facts/.